Chippy tea now 'a luxury' due to potato prices

Fish and chips has been part of our national palate for more than 160 years

It is a quintessentially British meal but the "chippy tea" is now becoming more of a luxury than a staple, partly due to the cost of rising potato prices.

That is what fish and chip owners are saying, as they watch their margins grow smaller and smaller, with a bag of potatoes now hitting its highest price point for nearly 50 years.

Some lines of potatoes are up by 22% in price, due to wet weather affecting the crops.

Angela Cartwright from the Kingfisher Fish Bar in Salford said as prices kept on rising in all other areas of life, the staple treat had become a luxury.

Dom Horabin said it was not easy for farmers to get potatoes to the supermarkets and chip shops

"People are prepared to pay £15 to £20 for a pizza. They're not prepared to pay it for a portion of fish and chips," she told BBC Breakfast.

Fish and chips has been part of Britain's national palate for more than 160 years.

It was so crucial to the national spirit, it was said supplies were protected during both World War One and World War Two.

But the soaring price of the humble spud means chippies are struggling.

Dom Horabin who runs Seniors - a chain of fish and chip shops around Blackpool - said it was not easy for farmers to get potatoes to the supermarkets and chip shops.

"There is a lot more that goes into it; if it be fuel, staffing, all of the little costings," he said.

"This is is not new to the chippy, you have to source things from different locations - even going as far afield as Oxfordshire to source potatoes."

'More for their money'

But he said the price of potatoes was now coming down because the new crop is coming in, and energy prices were beginning to dip too.

"Any little bit - that helps," he said.

"It could be the price of oil, gas, electric and the price of potatoes, it all makes a huge difference.

"I can't see the prices going back to where they were but I can see people getting more for their money."